The contact between Riverside and www.prog-nose.org may be labelled as legendary. Right before the release of ‘Second Life Syndrome’ they played as headliner at our very own festival in 2005. Since then their popularity has expanded over the whole globe. Recently they played in Belgium again, but after the festivals, a new European tour is planned for October and November. In the meantime we can enjoy more than half an hour new music of the sympathetic four Polish musicians.

This year it is ten years ago that Riverside was founded in Warsaw. The sympathetic band would charm the hearts of many a progressive rock fan all over the world with its crying, fluttering guitar solos, floating and soaring vintage keyboard pads and melancholic, thoughtful vocals. Their first international success was booked in the Netherlands, also thanks to initiatives of ProgPower festival Europe in Baarlo. Recently Riverside toured in Europe to celebrate this memorable anniversary. During these gigs, attendants were able to purchase the special, suitably entitled ‘Memories In My Head’ MCD. Now this gem with more than thirty minutes music will be offered in the regular selling circuit as well. That’s worth mentioning!

During these three extensive tracks, Riverside cuts loose in lengthy, epic, extensive tracks with dream-like overtones. As the title already suggests, they wallow in reveries about all memories from the past ten years, when Riverside evolved from an obscure band hailing from a former East bloc country to a well-respected international act, selected as opener for Dream Theater and showing off at US Near Fest (to name just a few).

Riverside takes the bull by the horns. Two of these songs were already played live during the last tour, at least that’s my experience in Antwerp. However, opening track ‘Goodbye Sweet Innocence’ is a virgin track for me when putting ‘Memories In My Head’ in my CD-player. It reflects the feelings of someone who starts something for fun and suddenly it develops into something that determines your life. It is a gem of a song with atmospheric guitar and organ sounds, contemplative vocals and transitions going into crescendo. The title ‘Living In The Past’ might recall memories of Jethro Tull for ancients among us, for me right now especially those ultimate tight bass patterns of Mariusz Duda, the Pink Floydish guitar solos of Piotr and the lyrical statement: “I’m not gonna live like everyone” leaps to my eye. It is a musical adventure with vortex fragments brimming with timeless dynamics. ‘Forgotten Lands’ is a gem on its own. It will be the promo song for the game ‘The Witcher 2: Assasins Of Kings’ and do mark the uplifting keyboards with slightly spatial aureole. Riverside looks back on an essential decade in their lives and they do it with grace and nearly unworldly piety properly known from them. Once again top notch quality!